salad

What makes a salad stand out? Last night, fondly enough, as I was preparing a salad (it was a scorcher of a day) I pondered the same thing. I looked at the ingredients laid out before me: avocado, leftover grilled steak, cherry tomatoes, fresh sugar snap peas, leftover grilled broccolini, and chilled lettuce leaves picked…

Halloumi, a Cypriot cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk, has a high melting point and can easily be fried, grilled or roasted. When fried or grilled, it develops a delicious crust that surrounds a slightly springy, mild interior that squeaks between your teeth when chewed! Its uses are so versatile: skewer…

Antipasto (Italian – before the meal) simply refers to the dish that precedes all the others to come. It should be colorful allowing the senses to awaken and gets the palate ready for the meal that follows. It is there to whet the appetite and not be too filling. A typical antipasto dish consists of…

Barley is one of those staple grains that sit in my pantry for the longest time and then, without rhyme or reason, I go on a barley binge! I usually throw barley in soups or stews but recent years have seen me use it as a substitute for rice, mixed in with roasted vegetables and…

I’ve had this package of multicolor farfalle (Italian for butterfly) pasta for weeks now and every time I open the pantry door, there it is, waiting for me to do something with it. The colors of the butterfly pasta are all natural using beetroot, spinach, turmeric, paprika and black squid ink. I wanted something special…

A rice salad is so versatile and using wild rice is a healthier option. Wild rice is a grass and can be as long as one-inch and range in color from brown to black. I prefer a wild rice mix which is a combination of brown basmati and wild rice. A salad of your own…

Simple ingredients mingling together to pull off an out-of-this-world taste! If you’ve never had grilled peppers then you are in for one heck of a treat! Grilling or roasting brings out their natural sweetness making them so good on their own and they really don’t need much attention to shine, so keep the ingredients simple. …

Summer always means a change in cooking gears. The oven gets used less, our barbeque more, and food prep becomes simple. Spending as much time outdoors is key and my energy is focused on leaving kitchen time down to a minimum. I think we eat better during the summer with fresh, local produce available at…

Fresh and simple best defines my style of cooking. When I’m pondering what to make for dinner, I look for dishes that look pretty (eye candy), have a nutritional benefit (help sustain a healthy body), and take little time or effort to make. Salade Niçoise (knee-swahz) is a classic example of making a harmonious dish…

Micro greens are sprouting up everywhere (pardon the pun) from local farmers’ markets to specialized food shops. What are they, you ask? Think of tiny seedlings bursting into young greens from vegetables and herbs. Micro greens are typically one-inch to two-inches in height. Although little in size, they tout an intense flavor but not as…